BUFFALO GIRLS

KIRKUS REVIEW

This bouncy title introduces an author/illustrator to the children's book field with a new interpretation of a familiar folk song that is promising in its originality. The girls of the title are not residents of upstate New York, but American bison who cavort about dressed attractively in long gowns suitable to the pioneer Western towns in which they appear. There they bake apple tarts, bask in the sun, dance the Hoochie Coochie (a truly daunting sight), and prove themselves hardy souls who are ready for any challenge that the Buffalo boys who are singing to them can provide. In the final double-page spreads, all the buffaloes are dancing by the light of the moon--and having a fine time, too. This good-humored effort is the result of an early fantasy of the author, who imagined buffaloes when she first heard the song. Her large yet delicate buffalo ladies with sparkling eyes are pictured against desert and indoor backgrounds full of witty detail. She gives the source for her song and its tune, but follows tradition in adding ""embellishments"" that are faithful both to her concept and that of the song. An auspicious introduction.

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